SENTENCE: Carrie felt ridiculous and naive for having believed the story that Matt told her about the dog with five heads.

SYNONYMS: simple, innocent, gullible

ANTONYMS: experienced, sophisticated, wise

autonomous

DEFINITION: independent; not controlled by others

SENTENCE: While the dispute in Ukraine is over some eastern parts of the country becoming part of Russia, in the Middle East, many Palestinians are fighting to have their own autonomous state not governed by Israel or any other country.

SYNONYMS: self-determining, self-ruling, sovereign

ANTONYMS: dependent, subject, suppressed

futile

DEFINITION: completely useless; doomed to failure

SENTENCE: The United States attempts to reserve sending troops into a divided country only for when all methods of diplomacy and discussion have proved futile.

SYNONYMS: useless, pointless, hopeless

ANTONYMS: fruitful, hopeful, productive

endemic

DEFINITION: natural to or characteristic of a specific people or place; belonging exclusively to a particular place

SENTENCE: Animals that are introduced to an area are likely to threaten the endemic species that have been living there for generations.

SYNONYMS: native, indigenous

ANTONYMS:

indigenous

DEFINITION: native to an area; existing naturally or having always lived in a place

SENTENCE: Seeing new plants and animals indigenous to a certain place is one of the joys of traveling

SYNONYMS: innate, natural, primitive

ANTONYMS: foreign, imported, alien

Ubiquitous

DEFINITION: characterized by being everywhere, especially at the same time; omnipresent

SENTENCE: Though smart phones are now ubiquitous, their power and capabilities would have amazed people just twenty years ago.

SYNONYMS: everywhere, universal, widespread, pervasive

ANTONYMS: nowhere, uncommon, sporadic

Prevalent

DEFINITION: existing commonly and found frequently, as a plant; accepted, used, or practiced by most people, as a tool or belief

SENTENCE: Quinoa has long been a food staple of peoples in the Andes of South America not only due to its high nutrition value, but because it is such a prevalent crop in that region.